Technology Resolutions for the New Year

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A new year is upon us and while many are celebrating the close of one year and welcoming another that is certain to be momentus, others are scrambling to tie up loose ends and prepare for the onslaught of new responsibilities. As technology becomes ever popular, the necessity for making tech oriented resolutions (and keeping them!) also rises in importance. We welcome Aaron Mandelbaum, a man who has a knack for gently reminding us what we should have been doing when we weren’t maintaining our other resolutions.

Best described as an entrepreneur and digital strategist, Aaron Mandelbaum most recently served as the Web Marketing Manager for Big M Inc. There his team was responsible for social media, advertising, ecommerce, SEM, SEO and new technology projects for two chains of women’s fashion retail.  Aaron has spoken at numerous industry events and has been quoted in key publications including Internet Retailer and Shop.Org. His consulting practice (Icebreaker Consulting) provides private executive level coaching and education in social media, technology, ecommerce, marketing, personal productivity and more.

Week In Review Links

• Google Backs IncubateNYC to Create Potential Harlem Tech Hub
• HopStop Maintains its Edge in Pedestrian Navigation
• Ruling by Justice Dept. Opens a Door on Online Gambling
• Go Daddy loses over 37,000 domains due to SOPA stance
• Apple iOS, Google Android new device activations skyrocket

Online Shopping Return Policies and Dealing with Customer Service

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Now that Christmas has come and gone, and the excitement of all you, or your kid’s gifts have leveled off, is everything exactly what you or they wanted? Well, if you’re picky like me (so close Mom, love it anyway), then what do you? Many times things are bought online, and it’s hard to find out what to do with your unwanted gift. What are your options? What are the secrets to getting what you want? Andrew Schrage is just the man to ask.

Andrew Schrage is a co-owner of the Money Crashers Personal Finance site. He has an economics degree from Brown University, and previously worked at an investment fund based out of Chicago. He has a passion for all things financial and feels there is an educational void when it comes to personal finances.

Week In Review Links

• Cuomo Announces $785 Million NY State Grants, Meager Funds for Tech
• Apple’s Holiday Shutdown Puts Rush on App Developers
• Carrier IQ says “We Are Not Under Investigation”
• Intel’s emergency maneuver in mobile
• AT&T Brings 4G LTE To New York

Tips for Buying and Saving on This Year’s Top Tech Gifts

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As wish lists grow ever longer by the year, so, it seems, do the wants and needs loved ones. When “mommy I wants” become more frequent, it’s imperative to consider what products to save for, how to save, and when to buy. Christmas is an unmistakable time of year, one characterized by busy streets, furrowed eyebrows, and the shrill cry of electronic anti-theft columns. Once plump wallets are quickly thinned and saving becomes a necessity. Fortunately, there are experts such as Sarah Platte who are knowledgeable on subject such as buying and saving… two topics that keep us adults scratching our heads when the bank statements arrive after the holidays.

Sarah Platte is a consumer savings expert for PromotionalCodes.com, who strives to teach shoppers how to get the best prices on everything from travel and electronics, to subscriptions and shoes. She was recently featured on Fox and ABC local news networks.

Week In Review Links

• Cuomo Announces $785 Million NY State Grants, Meager Funds for Tech
• Apple’s Holiday Shutdown Puts Rush on App Developers
• Carrier IQ says “We Are Not Under Investigation”
• Intel’s emergency maneuver in mobile
• AT&T Brings 4G LTE To New York

Hiring 2.0 with HireVue

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Who really knew? Traditional interviews are expensive, inefficient, unstructured and inconvenient for all parties involved. As the jobs numbers improve and companies gear up for more hiring, now is the time for companies to consider transforming how they interview.

Digital interviewing technology is gaining popularity with companies in all industries across the country.  The technology streamlines and standardizes the process for all types of interviews – whether digital, phone, in-person or On Demand.  On Demand interviews are helping companies screen better and more easily identify best-fit candidates, while helping them spend less time and money doing it.

HireVue is a leading provider of digital interviewing solutions.  David recently joined the company as its CEO because he’s seen how HireVue’s solutions are transforming the way companies interview.

Week In Review Links

• Mixed Opinions on TVs in Taxis in NY
• Time Warner Cable Comes to Android Tablet, Without Live TV Streaming
• New App Tracks NY Kids on School Bus
• Microsoft brings the Genius Bar to the Web with Answer Desk
• Geotagging the Tourists
• Nintendo denies report games designer Miyamoto to retire

Join the Season of Giving with Next Jump

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Today’s show will be a conversation with Founder and CEO of Next Jump, Charlie Kim. He’ll spend time today talking with us about growing his company into the premier provider of rewards and loyalty programs in the U.S., Next Jump’s investment in the future of engineering in America, and how to bring technology into the classroom for just pennies on the dollar.

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Charlie Kim is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Next Jump, described by the New York Times as “a bellwether for the next generation of ecommerce.”  While building Next Jump from the ground up, Mr. Kim gained professional experience working in the Information Technology and Human Resources groups of Morgan Stanley in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo from 1995 to 1997. He returned to Boston in April 1997 to grow the Next Jump brand full-time and expanded Next Jump from a one-person operation to a multi-layered corporation by successfully raising millions in independent investments from Wall Street’s most influential players.  Within the company, Charlie’s innovation and dedication to human capital initiatives have created a best-in-class standard for employee fitness, nutrition, vacation and philanthropy.

Week In Review Links

• Schumer: Don’t track shoppers without consent
• Art.sy’s ‘Genome’ Predicts What Paintings You Will Like
• Carrier IQ Rootkit Reportedly Logs Everything On Millions Of Phones
• Google Maps 6.0 includes indoor mapping of Macy’s, IKEA, airports

New York’s Electronic Equipment Reuse and Recycling Act

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The NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act was signed into law on May 28, 2010, with the bulk of the Act, effective as of April 1, 2011. The law will ensure that every New Yorker will have the opportunity to recycle their electronic waste in an environmentally responsible manner. We’ve invited Stephen Leone to the show to help explain the ramifications of this mandate.

With 20+ years experience in the waste management industry, Stephen is a 3rd generation recycler with the considerable expertise required to ensure better environmental outcomes for our city through eRecycleNY. In his current position as President of Industrial Carting and Emerson Recycling, he works with NYC businesses to create cost-effective programs for managing recyclables, including cardboard, paper, plastics, textiles and organic wastes. eRecycleNY fills the need for electronics recyclers in the New York City area.

Week In Review Links

• Gotham Media Ventures to Hold Copyright Conference
• Tenants are at twits end
• Sprint first carrier to offer wireless emergency alerts
• Google Opens Music Store in Android Market
• McAfee Warns Consumers of the “Twelve Scams of Christmas”
• Levinson New Apple Chair, Iger Joins Board

Online Privacy: User Priorities and how to Stay Safe

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Online privacy may be something you think isn’t possible these days, but there are things you can do to protect yourself. People may have the ability to find out information about you, but its what they do with that information that can be harmful. Join us as Fran Maier explains to us the powers we have to combat this intrusion into our online lives.

Image by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr

Fran Maier is the President and Executive Chair of TRUSTe, the leading online privacy trustmark and service provider. Fran’s responsibilities include oversight of TRUSTe’s brand and policy initiatives. In 2008, Fran secured significant investment capital to transform TRUSTe from a non-profit industry association to a for-profit business in order to better address the evolving privacy challenges. Earlier, Fran was one of the co-founders of Match.com. She speaks widely on issues of online privacy and trust and is active in mentoring women in technology. She serves on a number of Internet and trust-related boards including the Online Trust Alliance. Fran holds a BA and MBA from Stanford University.

Week In Review Links

• Socks for Seniors looking for community partners in Pheonix
• NY State Law Will Mandate Commercial “e-recycling” by Jan 1, 2012
• Cablevision Turns Web Into Phone Book
• Sony to Buy Sony Ericsson, Turn Into 100 Percent Subsidiary
• Big boost in U.S. requests for Google user data
• Apple building solar farm for data center

Graduates Today, CEOs Tomorrow

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FedEx, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook are all companies started by college students who chose to innovate and create their own job rather then look for one in the corporate world.  Sadly, with the passing of Steve Jobs and his famous speech about not living someone else’s life, I thought you might be interested in speaking with executives from companies that have been created by college students.  Given the current economic situation in the U.S., this is an important topic—innovation.  What types of companies can these students create?

Image by ajagendorf25 via Flickr

Jonathan Simkin, CEO of SwoopThat.com is a great example.  A recent college graduate, he took his issues with the college book store and created what is now the largest online aggregator of college text books.  He is available to discuss what made him create his own life and journey rather than job search in an overcrowded marketplace.

Jonathan Simkin is founder and CEO of SwoopThat LLC, a San Diego-based technology company that offers parents with college-bound students a free service which can save them up to 75-percent on the costs of college textbook. Prior to founding SwoopThat, Jonathan worked at Advisors Asset Management where he assisted the sales team with portfolio analysis, Bloomberg quotes, and database management.

Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with an Economics Concentration from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif.  In his spare time, he enjoys hockey, ping pong, and options & derivative trading.

Week In Review Links

• GroundLink Launches Mobile Private Car Service in NY
• New site aims to be hub for restaurant hiring
• NYC Exposes Data, Wants You to Play With Its API
• Andriod Ice Cream Sandwich: For smartphones and tablets
• Lytro’s Light Field Camera Creates ‘Living’ Pictures
• Yellow Screen Has IPhone 4S Owners Seeing Red

What’s Up With Google Plus?

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Google+ (pronounced Google Plus), is the online social networking website alternative to Facebook Developed by Google. It has interesting idea’s such as Circles, Hangouts, and more. But what exactly are they? And is Google+ here to stay? How will it affect Facebook? Dick Davies is here to answer our questions.

Image by entertailion via Flickr

Dick Davies is a salesman, and a serial entrepreneur who has been president of Sales Lab Incorporated for over 30 years. He blogs to promote his companies, new technologies, and civic and social interests. He is currently Vice President of the Washington Academy of Sciences, a volunteer position leading the Junior Academy, professional scientists and technologists working with students, judging local science fairs. He is a loud and frequent speaker on how businesses are adopting new technology.

Week In Review Links

• BankSimple Gets Ready for its NY Debut
• E-Readers on Checkout
• Apple iOS 5 now available, brings over 200 new features
• Google engineer slams Google+… on Google+
• Facebook Finally Releases iPad App
• Phony Netflix Android app steals account data

Internet Standards

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Standards — specifications of communication protocols and interfaces — form the basis for how the Internet operates, and, as a result, for most things we use our computers for nowadays. In this Tech Talk conversation with Barry Leiba, who has been working on Internet standards development for the last fifteen years, we’ll look into what Internet standards are, why they’re important, how they’re developed, and what’s still in the works

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Barry is a Standards Manager at Huawei Technologies.  Until 2009 he was a Senior Technical Staff Member at IBM’s Research Division, and worked for IBM since 1977.  He’s worked on email and related technology since the early 1980s, and currently focuses on the “Internet of Things”, messaging and collaboration on mobile platforms, security and privacy of Internet applications, and Internet standards development and deployment.

Barry has been active in the Internet Engineering Task Force for about fifteen years, is an author of a number of current and pending proposed standards, chairs four working groups (OAUTH, DKIM, MARF, and APPSAWG), and served on the Internet Architecture Board from 2007 to 2009.

Week In Review Links

• Remembering Steve Jobs
• Interop 2011: Modernizing, Unlocking, and Innovating New York
• India unveils world’s cheapest tablet computer
• Texting while driving doubles reaction time: study
• Amazon Allowing Users to Pay to Get Rid of Kindle Ads